Sick teachers and substitution.

Class sent home because teacher is sick

Research shows that eight out of ten parents expect the school to make sure a qualified teacher is in class for all lessons. Fifty-nine percent think a good substitute can offer a child at least as much as the regular teacher.

Most parents prefer a regular substitute. But they also see a retired teacher (76%), a parent with teaching qualifications (59%), or a teacher training student (51%) as options.

Although 62% understand that a direct solution is not always possible, parents think children should always be able to stay at school during school hours (82%) and that they should never be sent home (67%). The class of one in ten children has sometimes been sent home because their teacher was sick and no substitute was available.

Four-day school weeks are not allowed

The law does not allow a four-day school week, not even as an emergency measure due to teacher shortages. The education minister wrote this in a letter to parliament. The law does allow elementary schools to schedule four-day school weeks, but only for groups three to eight up to seven times a year. A school can choose to use some four-day weeks to manage the teacher shortage in special cases.

Duty of care of schools when teacher is sick

If no substitute is available, children can be spread over other classes. The school management can also take over the class. In emergencies, an unqualified teacher is allowed to teach. If parents can’t find any way to care for their children, the ministry expects schools to take responsibility and arrange suitable care during school hours.

What can parents do?

Parents can ask their child’s school what the plan is if substitutes are not found. The parent members of the school participation council can also give critical feedback about the policy on substitutions and the shortage of substitutes. This way, parents can make their voice heard before problems happen.